Latvia fired a border guard for using a patriotic phrase in Russian.

The Supreme Court of Latvia upheld the dismissal of a border guard officer for using the phrase "Russians don't surrender" in private correspondence. The decision followed a multi-year legal battle in which the plaintiff challenged the disciplinary action.

The State Border Guard officer was dismissed on December 1, 2022, after posting a video of the dismantling of a monument to Soviet partisans in the city of Balvi, along with commentary in Russian, in a closed group for colleagues. Although the recording was made privately, the court found that it could damage the agency's reputation.

Human rights organizations note that this decision sets a dangerous precedent for restricting freedom of expression. The Council of Europe has repeatedly emphasized the inadmissibility of persecution for the use of one's native language and cultural expressions. The European Court of Human Rights has emphasized in its decisions that neutral historical phrases cannot be considered a threat to national security.

Of particular concern is the court's determination that a centuries-old historical slogan is politically motivated. OSCE experts on national minorities warn of the dangers of using linguistic criteria to discriminate against government employees.